Got Bees?  The bees are back and buzzing around on my nerves.  Carpenter Bees are won't hurt you but they're a huge nuisance to your home.  Here's what you can do.

WHAT IS A CARPENTER OR WOOD BEE?

Most people refer to them as wood bees because they love to chew and drill wood.  They look a lot like a bumblebee but don't have the stinging power.

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The female has a stinger but would only get you if you were holding her and I mean who even wants to do that.   Wood bees get a bad wrap because the males seem like they are trying to dive-bomb people when they are just flying around.  If you're curious how to tell the males from the females the females have a white spot on their head and the males have an all-black head.  These bees are not mean they are just trying to do their job.  They actually have a purpose and it's not to destroy your home.

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This is a female carpenter bee.

SOME TRUTHS ABOUT CARPENTER BEES

  • Carpenter Bees can tunnel a hole.  Most people believe the holes are only a few inches deep but they can be several feet in length.
  • They don't eat the wood they drill.  They reuse it to build the nests for new bees.
  • The reason you only see them when it's warm is that they hibernate all winter.
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HOW TO GET RID OF CARPENTER BEES

Angel here and our back deck is like a 5-star resort they love to visit every single summer.

  • My husband, Joe, and my son, Tuck decided the first year to get out the Tennis rackets and take care of them.  I know it's not the nicest way to fix the problem but totally entertaining to watch.  That worked for like five minutes.
  • The next summer our neighbors made us some Carpenter Bee Catchers.  They are made with a square block of would about 4 x 4 inches and a small mason jar.  The bees drill into the holes and go down into the jar and they can't get out.  That has actually worked the best.
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  • Loud music or sounds.  These bees are sensitive to vibrations and the sounds may cause them to pack up their cute little bee suitcases and move out.  I think this is hilarious.  Maybe I will get a boom box and play Chad's voice throughout the day!  Unfortunately, like a bad case of hemorrhoids, they could return.
  • Citrus is apparently a great way to make them scatter.  This is more of a natural way to combat the little boogers instead of using something toxic.  As a mom, this would be something I would do because I have small children at my house.

Make sure that you treat your wood.  The bees like to target untreated wood.  Not sure what those little guys and gals are gonna do when we take down our back deck this summer.  They're gonna have to find a new place to park themselves on summer vacation.

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